Most Popular

Many wounded Iraq veterans have a tragedy in common: Their chronic pain led to pill dependency. It's a common side effect of pain potions. Plus, as many as 41 percent of chronic-pain sufferers abuse their meds, according to a 2007 health-policy review published in the journal Pain Physician.

But there are other ways to tackle pain. "Usually the smartest plan is to start with the least invasive treatments and work up to more invasive treatments if the pain isn't going away," says Peter Dorsher, M. D., a pain-management specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Before cashing in that scrip, find a doctor who'll guide you through these alternatives, which are listed in order from least to most invasive.